Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: June 29, 2005
• Invested on: November 18, 2005

A trailblazing entomologist and a beloved teacher and advisor, Thelma Finlayson is a source of inspiration to countless young women. She was among the first women scientists to enter the federal government's research branch in the 1930s and she later became a founding member of Simon Fraser University's Centre for Pest Management. Named the University's first professor emerita upon her retirement in 1979, she continues to show a deep concern and affection for young people by voluntarily providing counselling to thousands of students who have found themselves in academic difficulty.